losers.com
by Gendou
Summary: A group of friends gathers in a chat-room to discuss their love-lives (or lack thereof) . . .
1. Mutual Support

[Ranma] - [Different][Alternate][Language]  
***********************************************************************  
  
losers.com  
Chapter I  
  
FFML Draft (public) v0.1  
  
A Ranma 1/2 Fan-Fiction  
-= By Gendou Knepper =-  
  
Ranma 1/2 characters & situations created and copyright by:   
Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan/Kitty/Fuji/Viz/etc.  
Other copyrights are owned by the respective copyright owners.  
All copy-written material is used without permission.  
  
All other material is (c)2000 Gendou Knepper  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
=======================================================================  
Friday Night  
=======================================================================  
[THORNS03 HAS JOINED LOVE_JAPAN(private)]  
  
THORNS03: Hi guys.  
  
MAGE21: Hey Thorns.  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Greetings, Thorns.  
  
QUEEN: hi thorns!  
  
HANDSOME: yo thorns  
  
MAGE21: Back to what I was saying before - loving someone just isn't enough to   
base a relationship on. You have to like them as well. And the feelings have   
to be mutual.   
  
HANDSOME: never mutual for you huh nerd  
  
QUEEN: mage - i dunno. if you luv someone, shouldnt they luv you back?  
  
DONALD_DUCK: That would be nice, but it hardly ever works that way in   
the real world.  
  
QUEEN: it makes me sad.  
  
THORNS03: My school is an all girls school. At least I don't worry about boys   
there.  
  
HANDSOME: WHAT WRONG WITH BOYS SISTER  
  
MAGE21: Turn off the capslock, Handsome.  
  
HANDSOME: back off nerd  
  
QUEEN: pleez dont fight.  
  
THORNS03: Handsome - there's nothing wrong with boys per se, but they are a   
distraction. My brother is obsessed with girls at his school, and his grades   
are suffering for it. I'm glad I don't have to worry about such things. At   
least until after school. G  
  
BIGGUY17: What were we discussing again?  
  
DONALD_DUCK: The same thing we do every night. Our love lives.  
  
MAGE21: Or lack thereof.  
  
HANDSOME: speak for yerself nerd  
  
MAGE21: Whatever.  
  
BIGGUY17: I have a girlfriend. She's the best cook in the world.  
  
[THIEF HAS ENTERED LOVE_JAPAN(private)]  
  
THIEF: hey guys.  
  
MAGE21: Hey Thief.  
  
THORNS03: Welcome back.  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Greetings Thief.  
  
QUEEN: hi thief.  
  
HANDSOME: yo  
  
BIGGUY17: Have we met?  
  
THIEF: bigguy - yes, we've met.  
  
DONALD_DUCK: BigGuy was just telling us about his girlfriend.  
  
BIGGUY17: I was?  
  
MAGE21: sigh Never mind. If you don't want to tell us about your girlfriend,   
you don't have to.  
  
BIGGUY17: I have a girlfriend?  
  
HANDSOME: moron  
  
[HAPPYDAY HAS ENTERED LOVE_JAPAN(private)]  
  
HAPPYDAY: Anyone wanna cyber?  
  
THORNS03: WHAT?  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Who is this moron?  
  
HAPPYDAY: Any pretty ladies want to get it on?  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Mage . . .   
  
MAGE21: I'm on it.  
  
[MAGE21 HAS KICKED HAPPYDAY FROM LOVE_JAPAN(private)]  
  
THIEF: i thought this was a private channel?  
  
MAGE21: It is, but they're doing maintainence tonight, so some of the   
safeguards are down.   
  
DONALD_DUCK: Let's hope he doesn't come back.  
  
THORNS03: Hear hear.   
  
THIEF: so where were we?  
  
HANDSOME: whatabout what we discussed the othernight about getting revenge on   
people who steal our love and all i like revenge  
  
MAGE21: Surprise, surprise.  
  
HANDSOME: bite me nerd  
  
DONALD_DUCK: That guy I was telling you guys about? The one who keeps stealing   
my girl away from me? He was in here today again.  
  
THIEF: you should just tell him off once and for all.  
  
THORNS03: I agree. You need to discuss this with him.  
  
QUEEN: you don't need to be mean about it, just let him know how you feel about   
him stealing your girlfriend.  
  
DONALD_DUCK: I wish she were my girlfriend. I've loved her for so long. sigh  
  
MAGE21: Hang in there man, she'll come around.  
  
HANDSOME: if she dont just call me and i'll beat the guy up for ya  
  
BIGGUY17: Does she know how to cook?  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Yeah, she's a really good cook.  
  
QUEEN: wierd. the one i love is a chef.  
  
THORNS03: Maybe there's a connection.  
  
MAGE21: Well, the one I love can't cook at all.   
  
[BANDANNAMAN HAS ENTERED LOVE_JAPAN(private)]  
  
BANDANNAMAN: Is this the martial-arts channel?  
  
DONALD_DUCK: NO! For the last time, that's #martialarts !!!  
  
BANDANNAMAN: Oops. Sorry.  
  
[BANDANNAMAN HAS LEFT LOVE_JAPAN(private)]  
  
MAGE21: That's, what, three times he's been in here tonight?  
  
THORNS03: Four. Remember when he was looking for the Expedia website?  
  
THIEF: he was looking for a website in a chat room?  
  
THORNS03: Yup. G  
  
THIEF: rotflmao!  
  
QUEEN: some people shouldn't be allowed to have computers.  
  
MAGE21: No kidding.  
  
HANDSOME: some cause theyre stupid and some cause they spend too much time on   
em, right nerd?  
  
MAGE21: I wouldn't know.  
  
HANDSOME: yeh right  
  
QUEEN: stop it.  
  
MAGE21: Well, it's 9pm, and I have to get up early.  
  
THIEF: it's friday night - where do you have to be tomorrow?  
  
MAGE21: It's nothing, really, I just need to get up early.  
  
THIEF: ok.  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Thorns - Did you take your medicine?  
  
THORNS03: Yes. Thanks for reminding me though.  
  
MAGE21: Are they helping any?  
  
THORNS03: Some. I'm still depressed a lot, though, but that's just a side   
effect from the OTHER pills I'm taking.  
  
HANDSOME: regular pharmacy aintcha?  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Be nice, Handsome.  
  
THIEF: what are the other pills for?  
  
THORNS03: Lithium. The school shrink says I'm bi-polar. Explains what   
happened last year, anyway.  
  
BIGGUY17: What happened last year?  
  
THORNS03: I kind of ruined a special event for the guy I like, and he's never   
forgiven me for it. That's when I decided to get help.  
  
BIGGUY17: Oh. Sorry.  
  
THORNS03: No, it's okay. The doctor says I'm supposed to talk about it anyway.   
Supposed to be good for me or something. :-/  
  
DONALD_DUCK: I did some research on BPD, BTW. Turns out there are several   
herbs that can help it, and might not have the side effects you're experiencing   
with the lithium.  
  
THORNS03: Can you e-mail me the links?  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Done. :)  
  
THORNS03: Thanks.  
  
MAGE21: I'm outta here. See you tomorrow night guys.  
  
[MAGE21 HAS LEFT LOVE_JAPAN(private)]  
  
THIEF: whos got operator now?  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Me.   
  
HANDSOME: thorns - speaking of mental illness, hows yer brother?  
  
THORNS03: He's doing better, but he's still obsessing over those girls from his   
school.  
  
DONALD_DUCK: What, and the rest of us aren't obsessed with someone? :)  
  
QUEEN: maybe obsessed is too strong a word?  
  
HANDSOME: i'm obsessed, but i just want to kill the old freak, not marry him.  
  
BIGGUY17: What were we talking about again?  
  
THIEF: sigh  
  
HANDSOME: no kidding bigguy you need that gecko balboa stuff  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Ginkgo Biloba?  
  
HANDSOME: whatever  
  
QUEEN: do any of you ever wonder what the rest of us look like in the real   
world?  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Sometimes.  
  
THORNS03: Do any of you ever wonder if you couldn't do better in life than with   
the person you're in love with?  
  
BIGGUY17: I'm in love?  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Thorns - Honestly? I try not to think about that. I love her.   
With all my heart, soul and mind, and if I do see faults, I forget them   
immediately, because they aren't her. She's perfect.  
  
THIEF: aren't you blinding yourself to reality then?  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe whatever faults I see are a result of   
that moron who hangs around her all the time.  
  
THORNS03: Maybe she loves the moron.  
  
DONALD_DUCK: She says she does, but I don't believe it. I think she's   
convinced herself that she does because her grandmother told her she does.  
  
QUEEN: that grandma sounds creepy.  
  
DONALD_DUCK: She's nuts, no doubt ab##%!($$@~  
  
[DONALD_DUCK HAS LEFT LOVE_JAPAN(private)]  
[OPERATOR HAS LEFT CHANNEL]  
[CLOSING CHANNEL]  
[SERVER HAS KICKED THORNS03 FROM LOVE_JAPAN(private)]  
[SERVER HAS KICKED QUEEN FROM LOVE_JAPAN(private)]  
[SERVER HAS KICKED THIEF FROM LOVE_JAPAN(private)]  
[SERVER HAS KICKED BIGGUY17 FROM LOVE_JAPAN(private)]  
[SERVER HAS KICKED HANDSOME FROM LOVE_JAPAN(private)]  
  
=======================================================================  
  
  
The girl stared at the screen for a moment before logging off of the   
server. She retrieved her e-mail and read through it for a few minutes in   
silence. She briefly considered going to the herbal site Donald_Duck had sent   
her, but she decided against it. She sighed and began logging off her network.   
After shutting down the computer, she sat there for a few moments. She picked   
up a medicine bottle sitting next to the monitor and rattled it in her hand   
absently.  
  
'Almost time for a refill,' she thought to herself. She frowned to   
herself slightly as she thought about the medicine she was taking. She sighed   
again. 'Maybe I'll spend some time in the greenhouse tonight. I can gather   
some flowers for my darling Ra-' She mentally blocked that line of thinking.   
'No, not a healthy thought. He is - she is? Hm. *They* are not mine. Not   
now,' she thought sadly, 'and probably not ever.'  
  
"Sister, are you awake?" Her brother's voice intruded on her melancholy   
thoughts.  
  
"Yes brother. Come in." As the door opened, she slid the bottle of pills   
under her pillow. She looked up and smiled. "What is it?"  
  
"I need your advice, sister. I am at a crossroads in my relationship with   
my two loves, and . . . " He stopped when the girl raised her hand.  
  
"Brother, I have told you, I am not involving myself in your   
relationship." She paused for a moment before continuing. "It's not healthy,"   
she whispered, disturbed by her brother's behaviour. He had gotten better since   
she...since her other persona...had stopped spiking his food with various mind-  
altering chemicals. Unfortunately, there were lingering side-effects, and one   
of them was that her brother was convinced he loved and was loved by two women,   
both of whom in reality despised him.  
  
Her brother gazed at her impassively for a moment before nodding and   
leaving the room. She stared after him for a few moments, then got up and   
closed the door and locked it. She walked over to her closet and began to   
undress for the night. After placing her school uniform in the laundry hamper,   
she opened the closet.   
  
'Well, I have enough leotards to last me well nigh forever,' she thought   
to herself. Pushing them aside, she reached for a nightgown in the back of the   
closet. After slipping it on, she walked to her bed and sat down. She blinked   
back her tears as she thought about the man she had loved, still loved, probably   
would keep on loving. The man who would never love her back. She laid back on   
the bed and curled up, sniffling softly.  
  
'I need to move on,' she thought, 'I need to get over him.' As she   
considered the ways to do this, a thought struck her. 'Maybe I can, and I can   
help someone else who needs it as well.' She nodded slowly as she considered the   
possibilities. She finally decided on a plan that might work. With that   
thought firmly in mind, she drifted off to sleep.  
  
  
=======================================================================  
Saturday Night  
=======================================================================  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------  
TO: DONALD_DUCK@NEWCHINA.COM  
FROM: THORNS03@HOTLINK.NET  
CC:  
BC:  
SUBJECT: Re: Herbal Substitutes for chemical imbalances  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Here is some information I found on the web for herbal  
substitutes for the chemicals found in lithium pills.  
There's not a lot out there about holistically treating  
bi-polar disorder, but with your interest in botany I  
thought these might be of interest, if not of some help.  
  
Donald_Duck,  
Hi! Thanks for the information you sent. I   
appreciate your support. I was really not sure if I   
wanted to tell anyone about my problem. But I'm glad  
I did. You've been a lot of help.  
I was wondering, have you ever considered meeting   
someone from the chatroom in the real world? I know  
you and I share some common interests in medicinal uses  
of plants and such, so I was hoping we could maybe  
get together sometime.   
I mean, I don't know where you live or anything,   
but if we live near each other, maybe we can get together.   
It's up to you. I'm sorry if I seem pushy or anything.   
I'm really not trying to be.  
Thanks again for all your help!  
Thorns03  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
=======================================================================  
  
  
The boy stared at the screen in front of him for a moment. He grunted   
slightly as he considered what the message said. He knew Thorns03 was a girl,   
and that was the part that worried him.  
  
'Is she asking me out on a date?' he wondered. He was a little frightened   
at the possibility. He didn't want to say no, not only because of his natural   
curiosity at meeting someone from the chatroom, but also because he was afraid   
it might hurt her feelings. The boy considered himself to be fairly sensitive   
to women's feelings, for the most part. It was a survival skill from his   
earliest upbringing.  
  
'What if she needs a real person to talk to, and I'm not there," he   
thought, 'and what if that drives her away from the healthy strides she's made   
since she started taking her medicine.'   
  
He sighed. 'Too many what-ifs. I need to consider this more,' he thought.   
He closed his e-mail client and opened up his chat client.  
  
  
=======================================================================  
  
[DONALD_DUCK HAS JOINED LOVE_JAPAN(private)]  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Hey people.  
  
MAGE21: Hi Donald.  
  
THIEF: hey duckboy.  
  
DONALD_DUCK: glares at THIEF  
  
THIEF: grins  
  
MAGE21: Grow up, you two. Hey, has anyone heard from BIGPIG34 lately?  
  
THIEF: she said she was looking for her boyfriend this week.  
  
DONALD_DUCK: How long can that take?  
  
MAGE21: A while, I guess. I haven't heard from her since Wednesday.  
  
THIEF: she's a chatbuddy with queen, right?  
  
MAGE21: Seems to be.  
  
[BIGGUY17 HAS JOINED LOVE_JAPAN(private)]  
  
BIGGUY17: Hi.  
  
[HANDSOME HAS JOINED LOVE_JAPAN(private)]  
  
HANDSOME: yo  
  
MAGE21: Hi guys.  
  
THIEF: hey guys.  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Hi.  
  
HANDSOME: so wassup?  
  
THIEF: we were discussing BIGPIG34.  
  
HANDSOME: what about her?  
  
DONALD_DUCK: No one has heard from her in a while.  
  
MAGE21: I hope she's okay.  
  
[QUEEN HAS JOINED LOVE_JAPAN(private)]  
  
QUEEN: hi friends.  
  
MAGE21: Hey kiddo.  
  
HANDSOME: sup beautiful  
  
THIEF: hey queen.  
  
BIGGUY17: Are you my girlfriend?  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Hi Queen.  
  
THIEF: have you heard from BIGPIG34?  
  
QUEEN: no, she was going to look for her boyfriend last I knew.  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Mage was a little worried about her.  
  
MAGE21: Well, it's just that I hadn't heard from her.  
  
THIEF: so how are things at work, queen?  
  
QUEEN: ok, i guess. it was very busy, but it usually is on the weekends.  
  
[THORNS03 HAS JOINED LOVE_JAPAN(private)]  
  
THORNS03: Hi guys!  
  
HANDSOME: yo thorny  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Greetings.  
  
THIEF: hi thorns  
  
MAGE21: Hey Thorns.  
  
QUEEN: hiya!  
  
BIGGUY17: Uhm, are YOU my girlfriend?  
  
THORNS03 Uhm, no BigGuy, I'm not. But thanks for asking.  
  
BIGGUY17: Ok.  
  
[BANDANNAMAN HAS JOINED LOVE_JAPAN(private)]  
  
BANDANNAMAN: WHERE ON THE WEB AM I NOW???  
  
MAGE21: In a private channel.  
  
[MAGE21 HAS KICKED BANDANNAMAN FROM LOVE_JAPAN(private)]  
  
MAGE21: Sorry. Safeguards are still down until Monday or so.  
  
THORNS03: So, what were we discussing?  
  
[BIGPIG34 HAS JOINED LOVE_JAPAN(private)]  
  
BIGPIG34: Hi guys!  
  
MAGE21: BigPig! We were wondering about where you'd been off to!  
  
HANDSOME: yeah its all nerdly could talk about  
  
MAGE21: Cut it out, Handsome.  
  
QUEEN: so, didya find him?  
  
BIGPIG34: No. He's always running off, and I suspect it's because of this other   
girl he likes. He always denies it, of course, but I can see it in his eyes.  
  
THORNS03: I don't want to be rude, but are you sure he likes you?  
  
BIGPIG34: Yes, I am, and I know we're meant to be together.  
  
THIEF: you know this for a fact?  
  
BIGPIG34: Do you believe in magic?  
  
MAGE21: Fate or magic?  
  
BIGPIG34: Magic. Real magic. Like people turning into animals.  
  
MAGE21: Yeah, sure.  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Not to be impertinent, but why do you ask?  
  
BIGPIG34: Curiousity?  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Well, ok. Yes, I most certainly believe in magic.  
  
THIEF: Maybe. Depends. I guess.  
  
HANDSOME: definitely hehehe at least i should  
  
BIGGUY17: What were we discussing?  
  
BIGPIG34: Magic.  
  
BIGGUY17: I've seen magic before. And big pigs too. Plus other big animals.  
  
THORNS03: You know, when I was, hm, 'not well', I didn't believe in magic, but   
now I do.  
  
HANDSOME: so when you wer nuts you didnt but now that yer sane you do  
  
QUEEN: i do believe in some magic.  
  
BIGPIG34: Well, I've seen some strange things, particularly around my boyfriend   
and his friends.  
  
THIEF: like?  
  
BIGPIG34: Well, have you heard any of the reports coming out of Nerima   
district?  
  
DONALD_DUCK: I live in Nerima.  
  
THORNS03: So do I.  
  
HANDSOME: what reports?  
  
QUEEN: i live in nerima too.  
  
THIEF: no, i haven't heard the reports.  
  
BIGGUY17: What's Nerima?  
  
THIEF: it's a ward of tokyo.  
  
BIGGUY17: Oh. I think my girlfriend lives there.  
  
HANDSOME: heh no doubt  
  
BIGPIG34: My boyfriend can shapeshift.  
  
THIEF: yeah, right.  
  
BIGPIG34: It's true!  
  
QUEEN: i've heard of such things.  
  
HANDSOME: yeh me too heh heh heh  
  
MAGE21: Shapeshifting? Really? Amazing. He must be a skilled magician.  
  
THORNS03: Bigpig - Does he truly practice the black arts?  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Not all magic is black.  
  
BIGPIG34: He's not a magician. It's a blessing he recieved.  
  
MAGE21: I'd like that blessing. Imagine being able to become anyone or   
anything you wanted.  
  
THIEF: that would be useful.  
  
BIGPIG34: Actually, he can only change into one form. And it requires certain   
mitigating circumstances.  
  
MAGE21: This is fascinating. Like a werewolf? Full moon and all?  
  
BIGPIG34: Not exactly.  
  
BIGGUY17: What were we discussing again?  
  
QUEEN: werewolves and changelings and magic.  
  
BIGGUY17: I know a magician. He lives with my girlfriend.  
  
HANDSOME: dude yer wierd  
  
MAGE21: I've always been fascinated with magic. Unfortunately, I have no skill   
at it.  
  
DONALD_DUCK: I have the skills for it, but my culture forbids people like   
myself from practicing it.   
  
MAGE21: Is it a religious taboo?  
  
DONALD_DUCK: No, strictly cultural. I'm actually from a small village in   
northern China.  
  
HANDSOME: im from china too but i thought you were in nerima  
  
DONALD_DUCK: I work at a restaurant there.   
  
HANDSOME: heckuva commute from china  
  
DONALD_DUCK: I live in the restaurant as well as working there.  
  
MAGE21: Even if you are unable to practice magecraft, are you forbidden from   
training in it.  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Once, long ago, I lost a serious challenge. I was sent away from   
my village in disgrace and told not to come back until I could prove my worth as   
a warrior. Well, due to a serious physical infirmity, I would never be on an   
even footing with the other warriors.  
  
MAGE21: Is it because of that handicap that you cannot practice magic?  
  
DONALD_DUCK: No. Even a blind, crippled old woman may practice magics in my   
village. But no man may ever know the secrets of sorcery.  
  
QUEEN: just because your a man you cant be a magician?  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Because I am a man, I can never allow anyone to know that I am   
already a skilled mage.  
  
MAGE21: You already *are* a skilled mage? Wow!  
  
QUEEN: thats so sad for you, donald duck.  
  
MAGE21: So what happened when you left? Were you already practicing then?  
  
DONALD_DUCK: No. I met an old man deep in the woods outside my village, and he   
led me to an ancient conclave of mages.  
  
MAGE21: That is so cool.  
  
HANDSOME: hey mikey nerd boy likes it  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Anyway, this group was made up of men who had fled my village to   
escape persecution for practicing magic.  
  
THIEF: whoa.  
  
MAGE21: So they trained you??  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Yes. I became very powerful in the arts. I eventually returned   
to my village and proved myself worthy to live there again, using a variant form   
of martial-arts. But I am still disgraced. And now I must hide my skills.   
Which means that when that moron comes around to steal my beloved, I must stand   
aside, or face his bullying. Even when I stand up to him, he defeats me easily,   
since he's an extremely powerful martial-artist. But I must carry on, for the   
sake of my wonderful beloved. She is the only thing that makes any of this   
worthwhile.  
  
QUEEN: thats so romantic sigh  
  
BIGPIG34: Wow. I wish my boyfriend felt like that about me.  
  
THORNS03: It really is sweet, Donald_Duck.   
  
HANDSOME: oh gods im gonna hurl  
  
MAGE21: Shut up, Handsome.  
  
HANDSOME: make me nerd boy  
  
QUEEN: STOP IT BOTH OF YOU JUST STOP IT  
  
MAGE21: Queen - Sorry.  
  
QUEEN: you should be  
  
HANDSOME: hmph whatever  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Well, it's getting late. I'd better go. I have an early morning.  
  
MAGE21: Hey, it's only 11pm.   
  
DONALD_DUCK: Heh. Well, that's not what you said yesterday.  
  
MAGE21: grin  
  
THIEF: See you later, duckman.  
  
QUEEN: bye ducky  
  
HANDSOME: later don  
  
BIGGUY17: Do I know this guy?  
  
THORNS03: Goodbye, Donald_Duck.  
  
BIGPIG34: Bye-bye Donald!!  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Bye.  
  
[DONALD_DUCK HAS LEFT LOVE_JAPAN(private)]  
  
=======================================================================  
  
The boy stared at the screen for another moment before closing the chat   
client. He sighed. What to do, what to do. 'So Thorns is from Nerima as   
well, huh?' he thought, 'Well then, I guess there's nothing for it but to meet   
her.'   
  
He groaned, leaning back in his chair. 'I hope my beloved doesn't take it   
the wrong way,' he thought, an image of his lavender-haired beauty floating to   
the surface of his thoughts.   
  
He pushed his glasses up onto his nose and clicked on the icon for his e-  
mail client. Silently, grimly, he began to compose his reply to Thorns' query.  
  
=======================================================================  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------  
TO: THORNS03@HOTLINK.NET  
FROM:DONALD_DUCK@NEWCHINA.COM   
CC:  
BC:  
SUBJECT: Getting together  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Donald_Duck,  
  
Hey Thorns,  
  
Hi! Thanks for the information you sent. I   
appreciate your support. I was really not sure if I   
wanted to tell anyone about my problem. But I'm glad  
I did. You've been a lot of help.  
  
I'm glad to be of assistance.   
  
I was wondering, have you ever considered meeting   
someone from the chatroom in the real world? I know  
you and I share some common interests in medicinal uses  
of plants and such, so I was hoping we could maybe  
get together sometime.   
  
I think I'd like that.  
  
I mean, I don't know where you live or anything,   
but if we live near each other, maybe we can get together.   
It's up to you. I'm sorry if I seem pushy or anything.   
I'm really not trying to be.  
  
No, not at all. I'm glad you asked.   
I know you live in Nerima district as well.   
Are you familiar with 'Okonomiyaki Ucchan's' on Kei Street?  
It's pretty popular with the students in the area, and I thought we could meet   
there Monday afternoon. I can take a break after 3pm, and we could meet there   
for an early dinner around 4:30. I'll be wearing black pants and a white shirt.   
I'll have a red carnation in my breast pocket. I'll try to sit in a rear booth.   
  
Thanks again for all your help!  
  
Anytime. Seriously. You know that, right?  
  
Thorns03  
  
Donald_Duck  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
=======================================================================  
  
The girl read the e-mail quietly. Finally, she closed the window without   
replying to the message. 'So,' she thought, 'I'm finally going to meet   
Donald_Duck in the flesh.' She sighed. Shutting down the PC, she stood and   
walked to the window. Looking out at the expansive ancestral grounds, she   
wondered briefly what he would be like. 'I wonder if he's anything like my   
darling Ranma-sa-'  
  
She cut that thought off. Best not to try and imagine what he was like.   
After all, she would know day-after-tomorrow, wouldn't she? She walked to her   
closet and examined her school uniform. 'Hm. I imagine I shall have to take   
something with me to change into after class.' She chose a simple pastel-yellow   
blouse and a dark-blue skirt with a tiny pink flower print. She laid them,   
along with a pastel-yellow hair ribbon, into her gym bag. She would change   
after gym, that being the last class of the day.   
  
Dressing for bed quickly, she climbed into her bed and snuggled down under   
the warm covers. She sighed contentedly.  
  
'I hope it doesn't rain Monday,' she thought as she drifted off to sleep.  
  
=======================================================================  
  
'I hope it doesn't rain Monday,' he thought as he drifted off to sleep.  
  
=======================================================================  
Monday Afternoon  
=======================================================================  
  
"Gods, why me?" the boy moaned. He wiped his fogged glasses gingerly,   
trying not to smudge them too badly in the process. The rain had hit suddenly,   
and he had had just enough warning to get under an awning before it had started   
coming down in earnest. 'Wouldn't do to have my curse activated on my way to a   
da-' he paused in thought, 'on my way to meet someone,' he corrected mentally.   
He sighed. Reaching out into the air, he pulled an umbrella from that   
metaphysical realm known colloquially as Hammerspace(tm). Opening it carefully,   
he stepped out into the rain and proceeded down the street toward his   
rendezvous.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
There was a gentle chiming as he pushed open the door to 'Okonomiyaki   
Ucchan's.' He held it open for a moment while he closed the umbrella outside and   
shook it off, careful not to splash himself in the process. Placing the   
umbrella into a rack by the door, he stepped up to the counter.  
  
"Hey Mousse-honey," Ukyou said. She smiled as she looked Mousse over   
carefully. "Aren't you dressed up. What brings you to this fine   
establishment." She handed Mousse a napkin, which he used to wipe off his   
glasses. With his glasses still in his hand, he turned toward another customer.  
  
"Hello Kuonji Ukyou." He tried to focus on the blur in front of him.   
"I'm meeting someone," he finally replied. Ukyou frowned slightly and gently   
tugged on his sleeve, pulling him around to face her.  
  
"I'm over here, Mousse." She smiled at his confusion, then went on. "So,   
anyone I know?" Mouse slipped his glasses on and shook his head.  
  
"Probably not," he replied. "I met her on the internet."  
  
"Ooh, a girl." Ukyou grinned knowingly. "Does Shampoo know?"  
  
"No. And I hope she doesn't find out. I would never cheat on my beloved   
Shampoo. This girl and I are just friends."  
  
"So what's her name?" Ukyou flipped the okonomiyaki she was cooking, then   
proceeded to add toppings to another one before handing it to her   
waitress/waiter, Konatsu. The male kunoichi took the order to one of the far   
tables, mincing silently in his long formal kimono.  
  
"I only know her by her screen name - Thorns03," he admitted. Ukyou   
looked at him curiously.   
  
"And you agreed to meet her?" she asked. She looked thoughtful for a   
moment, then frowned. "She might be much older, you know. Can't be too sure on   
the internet these days." Mousse shook his head again.  
  
"No, she goes to a girl's school in the area," he replied. Ukyou   
shrugged, still frowning.  
  
"So she says." Ukyou flipped the okonomiyaki again.   
  
Mousse winced. "I'll believe her word until something is otherwise   
proven," he stated. Ukyou smiled at that, nodding in agreement.  
  
"Good idea. I'm really wary of the whole Internet thing. Konatsu loves   
it. He's on there almost every night, but I just don't care for it that much."   
She began adding toppings to the okonomiyaki, then put it on a plate.   
Carefully, she pushed it across the grill to the customer Mousse had mistaken   
for her earlier. The man smiled and nodded.  
  
"Well, I'd better sit down. I told her I'd be in the back." He smiled   
slightly and walked toward the back, nodding to Konatsu in passing. He chose   
the seat furthest back and sat down facing the door. Mousse checked the watch on   
his wrist. He was only a few minutes early, it seemed. Reaching into midair,   
he surreptitiously summoned a red carnation. He hoped she would recognize him,   
since he had no idea what she would be wearing.   
  
=======================================================================  
  
At that moment, the girl was walking toward the restaurant, carefully   
avoiding the rain by staying under the awnings in front of the stores. She   
checked her hair ribbon and adjusted it. Instead of her usual high ponytail,   
she had loosely tied her hair with the pale ribbon, setting it just below her   
neck. Opening her umbrella, she stepped out into the rain. She considered   
running to the restaurant, as it was just across the street, but she decided   
against it. Too much risk of stomping in a mud puddle and soaking her long   
skirt. She started across the street at a leisurely pace.  
  
-=-=-=-=-=-  
  
There was a gentle chiming as she pushed open the door to 'Okonomiyaki   
Ucchan's.' She held it open for a moment while she closed the umbrella outside   
and shook it off, careful not to splash herself in the process. Placing the   
umbrella into a rack by the door, she glanced around the place. Her eyes met   
Ukyou's almost immediately.  
  
"Kunou Kodachi," Ukyou hissed, "as I live and breathe. What are you doing   
in my restaurant?" She motioned to Konatsu, who, turning, spotted Kodachi. He   
leaped onto the counter and went into an immediate defensive stance. A few of   
the regulars at 'Ucchan's' also saw Kodachi walk in. They stood as one and   
moved quietly toward the exits, leaving payment on the counter as they left.   
Other customers, seeing this, quickly followed suit. Soon, the place was almost   
empty.  
  
Kodachi felt like crying. It wasn't supposed to be like this. She knew   
it was her own fault - her behaviour in the past would frighten anyone - but she   
had hoped to avoid anything like this. She shot Ukyou a pleading look. "I'm   
just here to meet a friend, Kuonji-san. I don't want any trouble."  
  
"Well, sugar, after scaring off all of my customers, it looks like you   
already have trouble." Ukyou reached for her battle spatula behind the counter.   
Konatsu, seeing that things were under control, at least for the time being,   
sprung vertically into the rafters, then exited out a small window at the top.   
'Good, he's going for help,' Ukyou thought. Suddenly, one of the few remaining   
customers stood up and spoke.  
  
"Ukyou, what's going on? Is something the matter?"   
  
Kodachi stared at the man. She felt like she had seen him before. He was   
tall, very tall, and broad-chested. His long, dark hair hung in two shining   
curtains on either side of his face. His blue-green eyes sparkled in the   
artificial lighting of the restaurant, and his noble features held a stern cast.   
A pair of thick glasses were set on his forehead, giving him the look of an   
intellectual. She was taken with him immediately. She was so focused, in fact,   
upon his face, that she almost missed what he was wearing.  
  
Black pants. White shirt. Red carnation.  
  
"Donald Duck?" she whispered. His head snapped around at the sound of her   
voice. He peered at her blindly for moment.  
  
"Thorns?" he murmured. He reached up and lowered his glasses onto his   
face.   
  
Kodachi blinked. 'With his glasses on, he looks just like...'   
  
"Mousse?" she gasped in shock. He blinked at her, then started.  
  
"Kunou Kodachi?" he yelped. They stared at each other in shock.  
  
"Wha...wha...you...you're Thorns?" He sounded shocked, but not angry.  
  
"Yes. And I'm to take it that you are Donald Duck?" she asked levelly.   
He nodded slowly. She smiled at him. Without a sound, he moved forward,   
walking until he was standing just in front of her. Looking down into her eyes,   
he made a strange gesture with his hand. Suddenly, a bouquet of yellow roses   
was in his hand.  
  
"Uhm, these are for you," he said, flushing slightly. She smiled shyly   
and took them, not meeting his eyes.  
  
Mousse was in mild shock. Kunou Kodachi was Thorns. Thorns was his   
friend. Therefore, Kunou Kodachi was his friend. This was an interesting   
development, to be sure. He looked her over carefully.  
  
She was a relatively tall girl, slender yet muscular in the way that   
dancers and gymnasts often are. Her dark hair was brushed back and tied just   
below her neck with a pale yellow ribbon. Her hands played nervously with her   
skirt for moment. Then she looked up and he met her eyes. Her eyes were a   
deep, dusky violet, the shade of the sky just after sun has disappeared over the   
horizon. He found himself lost in them for an all too brief moment.  
  
"Mousse? Mousse, honey, you okay?" Ukyou's concerned voice broke into   
his reverie. "She hasn't drugged you or anything, right?"  
  
"What?" he heard himself say. He looked away from Kodachi reluctantly.   
He'd never felt that . . . connection with anyone before. "No, I'm fine, Ukyou.   
Just fine." He glanced at Kodachi for a moment before continuing. "I apologize   
for any inconvenience I may have caused you, Kuonji-san." He bowed low, then   
turned to Kodachi. "Perhaps we should eat somewhere a little more . . . quiet?"   
Kodachi nodded, grateful for the excuse to leave a rather embarrassing   
situation. She gently took Mousse's proffered arm and they left together,   
stopping only to recover their umbrellas.   
  
Ukyou stared after the pair in shock. Placing her hand over her still-  
racing heart, she murmured, "Who ever would have thought it?"  
  
================================================================================  
================================================================================  
=====================================================  
  
Authors Notes:  
  
Ok, first off, I know 'Ucchan's' doesn't have booths. However, in most of   
my fics, I use it as a neutral ground / meeting place (better than the   
Nekohanten) and booths make sense. It's not canon, so consider it an aspect of   
being in an alternaverse. :-)  
  
I know that the format of this fic will turn a lot of people off. To   
those of you who made it this far, thank you. Your comments and criticism are   
most appreciated and are what makes a work like this even possible.  
  
Finally, PLEASE let me know what you think of this. I've got a couple   
more chapters written, but I figured I'd better see if anyone would even read it   
before posting them.  
  
Thanks in advance for your critiques. I need all the help I can get to   
keep my feeble skills going.  
  
=======================================================================  



	2. Discoveries

[Ranma] - [Different][Alternate][Language]  
***********************************************************************  
  
losers.com  
Chapter II  
  
FFML Draft (public) v0.1  
  
A Ranma 1/2 Fan-Fiction  
-= By Gendou Knepper =-  
  
Ranma 1/2 characters & situations created and copyright by:   
Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan/Kitty/Fuji/Viz/etc.  
Other copyrights are owned by the respective copyright owners.  
All copywritten material is used without permission.  
  
All other material is (c)2000 Gendou Knepper  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
=======================================================================  
Monday Night  
=======================================================================  
  
[DONALD_DUCK HAS JOINED LOVE_JAPAN(private)]  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Greetings again, my friends.  
  
DOCWHO: Konban wa, Duck-san!  
  
BIGPIG34: Hi Donald_Duck!  
  
HANDSOME: yo don  
  
THIEF: hey man.  
  
QUEEN: hiya!  
  
MAGE21: Hey bro!  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Doctor Who - Long time no see, my friend!  
  
DOCWHO: I was away on a research trip to China for two weeks.  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Really? I'm from China! What part did you visit?  
  
DOCWHO: It's a small province to the north called Quanzhai.  
  
HANDSOME: why would you visit that kamiforsaken part of china  
  
DOCWHO: There's a location there shrouded in legend. I was doing research on it   
to see if anything there could provide a cure for a friend's illness.  
  
BIGPIG34: You're a holistic-care doctor, correct?  
  
DOCWHO: Yes.  
  
DONALD_DUCK: What sort of cure are you looking for, Doc?  
  
DOCWHO: Well, I'm afraid it falls under doctor-patient confidentiality, but,   
needless to say, it is a rather unique ailment.  
  
DONALD_DUCK: I understand.  
  
THIEF: wow. china, huh? I've never visited china.  
  
HANDSOME: i used to live in quanzhai province its a backwater  
  
DOCWHO: Well, be that as it may, there are many ancient peoples still living   
there and practicing their native customs, and I was hoping one of them might   
have the cure I was looking for.  
  
BIGPIG34: Well, don't drink the water. g  
  
HANDSOME: and definitely dont fall into the water heh heh heh heh  
  
DOCWHO: What? Why would you say that?  
  
BIGPIG34: Um, it was just something I'd heard. My boyfriend travels a lot and   
he always says never drink water in a strange place.  
  
DOCWHO: No, I meant Handsome. What do you know about falling into the water in   
Quanzhai?  
  
HANDSOME: why do ya wanna know  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Ok, this is wierd. I used to live in Quanzhai, and I'm also   
curious as to your comment about the water.  
  
HANDSOME: lets just say you fall in and youll be a new man or something  
  
DOCWHO: Does the name 'Jhusenkyou' mean anything to you?  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Sweet mother of Gandhi. What do you want with Jhusenkyou?  
  
HANDSOME: yeh doc whats up with jusenkyo  
  
DOCWHO: So you recognize the name?  
  
HANDSOME: maybe  
  
DONALD_DUCK: You would do well, Doctor, to stay as far away from that cursed   
place as you possibly can.  
  
QUEEN: whats jusenkyo?  
  
DONALD_DUCK: A myth, nothing more.  
  
MAGE21: I don't mean to contradict you, my friend, but I've researched   
Jhusenkyou somewhat and I believe it might exist.  
  
DOCWHO: I know for a fact it exists.  
  
DONALD_DUCK: You're looking for a Jhusenkyou cure, aren't you?  
  
DOCWHO: Who are you?  
  
DONALD_DUCK: I'm asking the same question of you.  
  
HANDSOME: i wanna know who both of you are and how you know so much about the   
cursed springs  
  
MAGE21: Do any of you know someone cursed by Jhusenkyou?  
  
HANDSOME: yeh  
  
BIGPIG34: I think so.  
  
MAGE21: Bigpig? You know someone with a curse?  
  
BIGPIG34: My boyfriend.  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Your boyfriend is Jhusenkyou-cursed???  
  
DOCWHO: Who is your boyfriend?  
  
BIGPIG34: Uhm, I'd better not say.  
  
THIEF: ok this is getting spooky  
  
[THORNS03 HAS JOINED LOVE_JAPAN(private)]  
  
THORNS03: Hi everyone!  
  
DOCWHO: Look, I'm trying to find a cure, and if anyone has information, I need   
it.  
  
QUEEN: hi thorns.  
  
DONALD_DUCK: I don't know you, Doc. You could be trying to track down   
Jhusenkyou for any one of a number of reasons. I'm not giving you any   
information.  
  
HANDSOME: me either this smells rotten  
  
MAGE21: This is so fascinating. You guys actually know people with Jhusenkyou-  
curses?   
  
THORNS03: What's a Jhusenkyou-curse?  
  
MAGE21: Well, according to legend, it's a curse that causes the cursed to   
change forms when immersed in cold water, and to change back to normal when   
immersed in hot water.  
  
THIEF: what happens in lukewarm water?  
  
HANDSOME: nothing  
  
THORNS03: I know several people like that.  
  
MAGE21: No WAY! Am I the only person on this channel who doesn't know a cursed   
person?  
  
QUEEN: i don't.  
  
THIEF: me either.  
  
DOCWHO: Thorns - What can you tell me about your cursed friends?  
  
THORNS03: Why?  
  
DONALD_DUCK: I'm curious to know why as well, Doc. Why so interested?  
  
DOCWHO: I told you, I'm searching for a cure. A friend of mine is cursed and I   
want to find a cure for him, okay? I've told you too much already.  
  
DONALD_DUCK: But you want us to spill all?  
  
HANDSOME: sounds fishy fishy fishy to me  
  
BIGPIG34: Oh dear.  
  
MAGE21: Ok, this is nuts. Are you people pulling my leg here?  
  
HANDSOME: shut up nerd boy stay out of this  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Let me ask you this, Doc - how close did you come to finding a   
cure?  
  
DOCWHO: Not very.  
  
HANDSOME: no surprise there  
  
THORNS03: Maybe we should just change the name of this channel to   
JHUSENKYO_CURSES and be done with it.  
  
DOCWHO: Look, I'm not looking to fight you guys. I just wanted some answers.   
For all I know, you could be hoaxing me. But somehow, I doubt it.  
  
DONALD_DUCK: There are too many military uses for Jhusenkyou, as my people have   
learned to their detriment, for me to go and tell you what I know. Our tribe   
has a mortal enemy that uses the cursed water to strengthen themselves.  
  
HANDSOME: if you know the right place you can really buff yourself  
  
QUEEN: is anyone else lost?  
  
THIEF: i am. i'm out of here. night guys.  
  
[THIEF HAS LEFT LOVE_JAPAN(private)]  
  
QUEEN: uhm. ok. bye.  
  
DOCWHO: I know where Jhusenkyou is. I was just there. I was hopping that the   
naniichiuan would have a cure for my friend.  
  
DONALD_DUCK: So you have a male patient who is cursed?  
  
HANDSOME: best be careful too little water and youll end up halfsies hehehehehe  
  
DOCWHO: What do you mean?  
  
HANDSOME: if you only use a little water you end up mixing curses  
  
DOCWHO: There are some pools like that.  
  
MAGE21: Like what?  
  
DOCWHO: Mixed curses. Like the "Spring of Drowned Yeti Riding on Bull Carrying   
Crane and Eel." There's a martial artist who passes through occasionally who is   
cursed with that one.  
  
BIGPIG34: That sounds terrible!  
  
MAGE21: Sounds like a monster.  
  
DONALD_DUCK: He is, if we are discussing the same man.  
  
HANDSOME: who you calling a monster duckboy  
  
QUEEN: uh oh.  
  
MAGE21: Uhm . . .   
  
DONALD_DUCK: TAROU?????  
  
HANDSOME: oops  
  
BIGPIG34: You mean Pansuto Tarou?  
  
HANDSOME: WHO YOU CALLING PANTYHOSE SISTER  
  
DOCWHO: You're Tarou?  
  
HANDSOME: no never heard of him whos this tarou of whom you speak  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Nice try. No dice.  
  
HANDSOME: oh well no fooling you eh  
  
MAGE21: Ok, YOU turn into a monster?  
  
HANDSOME: call me that again and im hunting you down nerdboy  
  
DOCWHO: Handsome - You're Tarou? The guy who's hunting down Happosai?  
  
HANDSOME: yeah im gonna make the shriveled little raisin change my name  
  
THORNS03: Happosai? The little panty-stealing pervert???  
  
MAGE21: Hey, I've seen him around Furinkan High!  
  
QUEEN: he tried to grope me once. never again. heh heh heh.  
  
THORNS03: You go to Furinkan? My brother goes there.  
  
HANDSOME: aw geez well this is just old home week isnt it  
  
BIGPIG34: I know several people from there.  
  
DOCWHO: Several of my students go to Furinkan.  
  
DONALD_DUCK: I know many people there. The resturant where I work is nearby as   
well.  
  
QUEEN: my love goes to furinkan. our resturant is close to there too.  
  
HANDSOME: femboy goes to furinkan  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Femboy? You mean Saotome Ranma?  
  
DOCWHO: You know Ranma?  
  
MAGE21: Oh no. You guys know Ranma?  
  
QUEEN: i know ranma-san.  
  
THORNS03: Me too.  
  
BIGPIG34: He's my boyfriend's best friend!  
  
HANDSOME: great so we all know the faggot  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Doctor Who - You were in China looking for a cure for Ranma and   
his father, weren't you?  
  
DOCWHO: Among others. I know other people who are cursed as well.  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Maybe you know me.  
  
DOCWHO: Odds are we already know each other if we all know Ranma.  
  
DONALD_DUCK: I agree. Seems that our limited anonymity just went out the   
window.  
  
THORNS03: Well, we knew that this morning.  
  
QUEEN: huh?  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Thorns - Do you want to tell them?  
  
THORNS03: Donald and I met for lunch today and it turns out that we knew each   
other already.  
  
BIGPIG34: Oh wow! That's so romantic!  
  
HANDSOME: woo hoo donald you go stud  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Shut up, Tarou.  
  
HANDSOME: hey its not fair you guys know my name and i dont know yours  
  
MAGE21: Tough.  
  
HANDSOME: youre awfully brave in cyberspace flameboy  
  
DOCWHO: Well, I agree that our anonymity is pretty much gone. I'll go ahead   
and tell you who I am. Maybe then you'll trust me enough to help me find a   
cure.  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Ok, so who are you?  
  
DOCWHO: Tofu Ono  
  
MAGE21: Doctor Tofu???  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Heh. Seems we do know one another, Doctor. My beloved worked for   
several weeks at your clinic when she first came to Japan.  
  
DOCWHO: Shampoo. So you must be Mousse.  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Your skills as a detective match your skills as a doctor.  
  
HANDSOME: hey duckboy heh heh heh hows it going  
  
BIGPIG34: Doctor Tofu and Mousse??? Oh wow! Maybe you know where my boyfriend   
is!  
  
QUEEN: mousse-san! but you were in the shop today with kunou kodachi!  
  
THORNS03: Queen - Are you Ukyou?  
  
QUEEN: no  
  
DONALD_DUCK: No, he's Konatsu. Am I right?  
  
HANDSOME: no way queen yer that crossdressing putz ha ha ha ha ha  
  
MAGE21: Shut up Tarou! That's cruel!  
  
[QUEEN HAS LEFT LOVE_JAPAN(private)]  
  
DONALD_DUCK: You're a jerk, Pantyhose. I shouldn't have said anything.  
  
HANDSOME: shut up duckboy i just cant believe it thats all ha ha ha  
  
MAGE21: Mousse, if you were in Ucchan's today, and Thorns was with you, and you   
were with ... Thorns is Kunou Kodachi then, right?  
  
THORNS03: I am she.  
  
HANDSOME: the infamous black rose of st hebrekes  
  
MAGE21: Wow. I know all of you guys.  
  
HANDSOME: so who are you  
  
DONALD_DUCK: I must admit to feeling a little apprehensive about someone   
knowing who I am and my not knowing who they are in return.  
  
BIGPIG34: Mousse, have you seen my Ryouga-sama?  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Hibiki? Hibiki Ryouga?  
  
HANDSOME: wait you mean pigboy is yer boyfriend  
  
DOCWHO: I saw Ryouga in China just last week. He was trying to find the dojo.  
  
BIGPIG34: Probably going to see Akane. I know how he feels about her.  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Akari?  
  
BIGPIG34: Hi Mousse!  
  
HANDSOME: this is too wierd arent there any strangers in this channel  
  
THORNS03: Mage - you go to Furinkan, right?  
  
MAGE21: Yeah. And yes, I know your brother. I know you too, for that matter.   
I'm a patient of Doctor Tofu's and I eat at both Ucchan's and the Nekohanten   
fairly often. I've met Akari once. I don't believe I know Tarou though.   
Enough clues?  
  
BIGPIG34: Are you friends with my Ryouga-sama?  
  
MAGE21: Not really. Kunou-senpai and I used to talk sometimes, but not anymore.   
I don't have too many friends outside of this chatroom.   
  
HANDSOME: oooooh big sad surprise there heh heh heh heh heh  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Shut up, Tarou.  
  
THORNS03: Are you in my brother's kendo club at school?  
  
MAGE21: I wish. No. I'm in the photography club.  
  
DOCWHO: You're a patient of mine?  
  
MAGE21: Asthma. Allergies. Insomnia.  
  
DOCWHO: Gosunkugi.  
  
MAGE21: Got it in one, Doc.  
  
THORNS03: Hikaru-kun?  
  
MAGE21: It's me, Kunou-sama.  
  
HANDSOME: gos the skinny little stalker huh  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Gosunkugi Hikaru. I never would have known. You're so different   
in here.  
  
MAGE21: Heh. Who isn't?  
  
HANDSOME: hey man im always this cool and in control  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Yep. Always this much of a jerk too.  
  
HANDSOME: watch yerself man  
  
BIGPIG34: So no-one knows where Ryouga-sama is?  
  
[ICHIBAN_1 HAS JOINED LOVE_JAPAN(private)]  
  
MAGE21: No, sorry. I haven't seen Ryouga since his last fight with Saotome.  
  
ICHIBAN_1: You guys talking about that awesome martial-artist, Saotome Ranma???  
  
HANDSOME: is there anyone who doesnt know femboy  
  
DONALD_DUCK: I've fought him. He's good, but not great.  
  
ICHIBAN_1: Hey! What do you mean he's not great?  
  
MAGE21: What do you know about Saotome?  
  
ICHIBAN_1: He's the greatest living martial-artist in the world! He's devoted   
his life to martial-arts and to protecting the weak!  
  
MAGE21: Where have I heard this before?  
  
BIGPIG34: Ryouga-sama says that Ranma-san isn't that great of a fighter. He   
just gets lucky sometimes.  
  
DOCWHO: No one is that lucky that often. The boy is skilled.  
  
DONALD_DUCK: He's still a playboy.  
  
THORNS03: I think he's just a victim of circumstance.  
  
ICHIBAN_1: Bigpig - Ryouga said that? Man, P-Chan couldn't fight his way out   
of wet paper bag. If he could find the paper bag in the first place!  
  
MAGE21: P-Chan? What does Akane's pet...oh man.  
  
DONALD_DUCK: You just now figured that one out? I figured Akane was the last   
to know.  
  
MAGE21: Hibiki Ryouga sleeps with Akane????  
  
THORNS03: How did you know she sleeps with her pet pig?  
  
HANDSOME: stalkerboy knows all about akane dontcha nerdly  
  
ICHIBAN_1: Who's stalking Akane??  
  
MAGE21: I'm not stalking anyone!!!  
  
HANDSOME: gos here likes to take pictures dontcha  
  
ICHIBAN_1: Gosunkugi Hikaru? I should pound you for that!  
  
THORNS03: Why on earth would you want to hurt Hikaru-kun?  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Because Ichiban here is Saotome.  
  
BIGPIG34: Oh dear.  
  
DOCWHO: Of course.  
  
HANDSOME: hah hah hah hah hah praising himself in a channel how low can you go   
femboy  
  
THORNS03: Ranma-sama?  
  
MAGE21: I'm dead.  
  
ICHIBAN_1: Who's Saotome? Not me! No, I'm just an anonymous fan! Yeah! Bye!  
  
[ICHIBAN_1 HAS LEFT LOVE_JAPAN(private)]  
  
MAGE21: Great. Now Saotome's gonna pound me at school tomorrow.  
  
HANDSOME: you deserve it stalkerboy  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Saotome won't hurt you. Much.  
  
BIGPIG34: Oh dear. I hope I didn't insult him with what Ryouga-sama said.  
  
HANDSOME: nah femboy has a thin skin  
  
DONALD_DUCK: And you don't, huh, "Pantyhose"??  
  
HANDSOME: i know where you live duckboy so shut up  
  
MAGE21: I'm going to Ucchan's tomorrow to see how Konatsu's doing. Anyone want   
to come with me?  
  
HANDSOME: count me out  
  
THORNS03: I'll go if Mousse will go.  
  
DONALD_DUCK: Yeah, I'll go.  
  
BIGPIG34: What time?  
  
MAGE21: After school, say 3:30 or so?  
  
DONALD_DUCK: I don't get a break until four.  
  
BIGPIG34: I live outside of town. I couldn't be there until six or so anyway.  
  
THORNS03: Me either. I have gymnastics practice after school tomorrow.  
  
MAGE21: Ok. Can we meet at the Nekohanten at 6pm and then walk over?  
  
DONALD_DUCK: No problem by me.  
  
THORNS03: Sounds good.  
  
BIGPIG34: Okay!  
  
DOCWHO: I'm glad you guys are going to see him.  
  
HANDSOME: yeah its so touching you all care so much for a fag hah hah hah hah   
hah  
  
DONALD_DUCK: He doesn't swing like that. He loves Ukyou, you jerk.  
  
HANDSOME: yeh but the butch dresses like a guy the fag dresses like a girl they   
were made for each other hah hah hah hah hah  
  
[MAGE21 HAS KICKED HANDSOME FROM LOVE_JAPAN(private)]  
  
MAGE21: Sorry. Couldn't take much more of that.  
  
DONALD_DUCK: I've got to be going. I'll have an early morning tomorrow if I'm   
going to take the evening off again.  
  
BIGPIG34: See you tomorrow!  
  
MAGE21: Yeah, see you tomorrow, man.  
  
THORNS03: Good night, Mousse.  
  
DOCWHO: Night!  
  
[DONALD-DUCK HAS LEFT LOVE_JAPAN(private)]  
  
=======================================================================  
Tuesday Evening  
=======================================================================  
  
The boy walked slowly toward the resturant, shuffling his feet as he went.   
He carefully kept his eyes on the pavement in front of him, never looking up at   
the people he avoided instinctively. No one seemed to notice him at all. He   
was a black hole, an area to be skirted, but not seen. He walked on this way   
until he reached his destination. Carefully, he pushed the door open. A soft   
bell chimed as he did.  
  
"Welcome to Nekohanten!" rang out a cheery voice. Looking up, the boy saw   
a perky Chinese girl catching orders that were flung from the the counter and   
running them to the tables. Another girl, a cute redhead, was also catching and   
delivering orders.   
  
"Hello, Gosunkugi Hikaru."   
  
Looking around, Gos spotted Mousse. The taller boy had just finished   
cleaning a table in the front corner, furthest from the action at the counter.   
Gosunkugi walked over and sat down at the table as Mousse dried it off.   
  
"H'lo, Mousse. How's work?" Gos shrugged his bookbag from his shoulder   
and set it on the booth bench next to him.  
  
"Busy. If Saotome weren't here, I wouldn't be able to go with you.   
Fortunately, things usually calm down after six or so, plus I skipped my break   
at four so I could take it now." He carefully finished drying the table, then   
flipped the rag into the cart next to the table. Gos nodded slowly, thinking   
over what Mousse had said.  
  
"Saotome's working here?" he asked in a quizzical tone. Mousse nodded,   
pointing at the redhead Gos had seen earlier. She was currently balancing a   
plate on her head, with two more in her hands. She was grinning proudly.   
  
Gosunkugi's jaw dropped. "That's Saotome's cursed form?"  
  
"Some curse, huh?" Mousse grinned. Gos nodded slowly. He pushed his jaw   
back up, then gulped softly.   
  
"I'd seen her around school, obviously. I'd been told it was Saotome's   
sister. The stuff about them being one and the same were feeble jokes. At   
least that's what Kunou-senpai told me."  
  
"Don't believe everything my brother tells you, Hikaru-kun." Kodachi   
smiled ironically as she sat down. She was wearing a pair of sunglasses, and   
her hair was up in a bandanna.   
  
She sat forward, looking at Gosunkugi from behind her glasses. "Even if he   
believes it himself, don't believe him." She turned and looked up at their   
blind waiter. "Good evening, Mousse-san."  
  
Mousse bowed low. "Good evening, Kunou-san," he intoned gravely. She   
giggled behind her raised hand. Mousse stood up and smiled crookedly. He   
started to say something when a loud crash interrupted him.  
  
"Aiyah! What pig doing in here? Shoo! Shoo!" Shampoo stood shaking a   
broom at he front half of an extremely large pig. The pig was half-in, half-out   
of the front doors of the Nekohanten.  
  
"Oh dear! Katsunishiki! Stop that at once!" The pretty girl standing   
beside the pig looked distraught. Mousse groaned as he looked at the damage.   
  
"I'll be cleaning up that mess tonight. No rest for the weary, I guess,"   
he muttered. Gosunkugi stared at the giant pig, muttering soft wards against   
evil as he did so. Kodachi just watched the goings-on with a bemused   
detachment.  
  
"Shampoo no like pigs!" the Amazon warrior growled. With a grunt, she   
swung the broom down hard on the sumo pig's sensitive nose. Katsunishiki   
squealed in pain and backed out the door. Fast.   
  
"There!" Shampoo huffed, brushing her hands as she backed away from the   
wreckage. The few remaining customer scattered rapidly and left. Soon the   
resturant was empty except for the kids.  
  
"Oh man, what a mess," Ranma muttered, looking at what had been the front   
doors. Shampoo ignored her airen for the moment. Turning to Mousse, she threw   
the broom at him. He grasped for it, but missed. It clattered onto the floor   
next to him.  
  
"Clean up mess, now!" she snapped.  
  
"But Darling Shampoo," Mousse's voice had taken on a slightly wheedling   
tone. It grated on Gosunkugi's ears. "I was going out tonight!"  
  
"Not anymore you not." Shampoo said. "No argue, stupid boy. You want   
Shampoo tell Hiba-chan you no obey?" She smiled gloatingly. Mousse shook his   
head rapidly.  
  
"No, no, that won't be necessary, Shampoo! I'll get right on it!" He   
stooped and picked up the broom.  
  
"That's really sad, Mousse," whispered Kodachi, keeping her tone low.   
Mousse looked over at her, his eyes narrowed.  
  
"I serve and I obey," he muttered flatly. He began to sweep up the   
pieces. Not seeing any reason not to, Gosunkugi joined him, picking up the   
larger pieces of debris and piling them neatly in the corner.  
  
"Beyond sad. Pathetic, even." Kodachi smirked as Mousse continued to   
clean up the mess on the floor. Mousse stopped sweeping and turned around to   
look at Kodachi.  
  
"Kunou-san, are you trying to anger me?"  
  
"Yes." Kodachi's smirk widened slightly. "I'm hoping you'll tell that   
purple-haired bimbo where she can stick that broom. Hopefully we won't be too   
late if you do it now." She raised an eyebrow. Mousse shook his head and began   
sweeping again.  
  
"Go on without me. I have to do this." He turned and watched as Shampoo   
chased Ranma out of the room, begging him for a date. Mousse watched them   
depart, a look of deepest longing etched in bitter lines on his sharp features.   
So engrossed in his own thoughts was he, that he didn't notice a similar look of   
longing cross Kodachi's face. Nor did he see where it was directed.   
  
Sighing, Mousse returned to his work. He didn't pause when Akari stepped   
into the resturant through the hole where the doors had been.  
  
"I'm so, so sorry, Mouse," she whispered tremulously. Mousse waved his   
hand in a gesture of dismissal.  
  
"Don't worry about it. You'd better get going if you're going to see   
Konatsu." He continued clearing wreckage as he spoke.  
  
"I'm not going," Gos muttered, shifting a piece of the front door so that   
he could get to the fragments underneath, "not until we're done here." He   
looked up at Mousse, a faint smile on his face. Mousse nodded slightly, not   
returning the smile.  
  
"Well Akari, looks like it's just us," Kodachi said, standing. She looked   
over at Mousse. Disappointment warred with disapproval on her pretty face. The   
Chinese boy ignored her. Turning back to the smaller girl with a sigh, Kodachi   
gestured toward the door.   
  
Akari looked like she was going to cry, looking back and forth between   
Kodachi and Mousse. Her sumo pig was sitting across the street, a rather   
forlorn look on its face, if a pig could be said to have a forlorn expression.  
  
"I...I...I'm not going, Kunou-san," Akari finally gasped out. She glanced   
up at the taller girl, then back down at her feet. "I'm going to stay here and   
help clean up the mess I made." She nodded quickly, as much to herself as to   
Kodachi, then bent down and began to pick up one of the sweepings piles Mousse   
had made. Mousse continued to sweep silently.  
  
"Fine!" Kodachi huffed, obviously put out, "I'll go by myself to see how   
_my_ friend is doing. Because obviously no one here cares about her," she   
hissed.  
  
"Him," Gos muttered, not looking up from his task.  
  
"Him, her, whatever! _He_ is my friend!" She stormed toward the doorway.   
Hopping one of the larger fragments, she disappeared out the door without   
another word.  
  
Mousse, Hikaru and Akari continued to work in silence. Only the sound of   
shifting rubble and the scrape of the broom broke the stillness of the humid   
evening.  
  
"You make me so mad!" Kodachi hissed, storming back into the destroyed   
Nekohanten. Angrily, she scooped up a pile of debris and dumped it into a   
garbage can.   
  
Mousse smiled fractionally.  
  
"I'm glad you stayed, Kunou-san," whispered Akari shyly. Kodachi   
continued to slam bits of wreckage into the can.  
  
"Well, none of us would have to if a certain _someone_ would tell another   
certain someone else that they were busy tonight." She dropped the pile she had   
into the can and marched over to Mousse.  
  
The Chinese boy didn't look up.  
  
"Well?" Kodachi fumed.  
  
"Well." Mousse replied. He was sweeping more slowly now. Kodachi's hard   
features softened slightly.   
  
"Why?" she whispered.  
  
"I love her," came the reply.  
  
"Why?" Kodachi hated the note of pleading in her voice. Mousse stopped   
sweeping altogether and looked her in the eyes. Their violet depths glistened   
with unshed tears.   
  
"I just do. I can't explain it and I can't help it." His tone held no   
apology, no shame for what he was admitting. His black eyes were cold and hard.  
  
"So. That's that, huh?" Kodachi whispered in disbelief. "That's your   
choice?" She sniffled, wiping the tears from her eyes with the back of her   
sleeve.  
  
"There was never a choice, Kunou-san." Mousse dropped his gaze and went   
back to sweeping, going over the areas he had done before. He didn't look up   
when Kodachi left the Nekohanten in tears.   
  
He just kept sweeping.  
  
================================================================================  
================================================================================  
=====================================================  
  
Authors Notes:  
  
Well, yet another chapter. You'll notice that I've pretty much given away   
who's who in this chapter. Sure, there are a couple of 'mysteries' (yeah,   
right) but they're incidental.  
  
I'll be switching to a mostly-prose format from here on in. The chat-room   
format works for what it does, but I'm wrapping the story up, probably in the   
next chapter or so, so I need to move to the real-world to finish it out. :-)  
  
Well? Comments, criticisms? Let me know, okay? Arigato!  
  
=======================================================================  



	3. Hurricane of Tears

[Ranma] - losers.com, Part 3 - [Different][Alternate][Language]  
***********************************************************************  
  
losers.com  
Chapter III  
  
FFML Draft (public) v0.1  
  
A Ranma 1/2 Fan-Fiction  
-= By Gendou Knepper =-  
  
Previous chapters of this work can be found at:  
http://www.gendou.net/fanfiction/  
  
Ranma 1/2 characters & situations created and copyright by:   
Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan/Kitty/Fuji/Viz/etc.  
Other copyrights are owned by the respective copyright owners.  
All copywritten material is used without permission.  
  
All other material is (c)2000 Gendou Knepper  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
=======================================================================  
Tuesday Evening  
=======================================================================  
  
The girl fled down the darkening street. She felt as though her very   
heart would break within her. She had been so sure. So sure!   
  
Everything had been so wonderful yesterday, even after the rough start at   
Ukyou's resturant. He had been so sweet, so attentive. It had been everything   
she had hoped for and more. He was the perfect man to help her forget.  
  
But not now.  
  
Now, he had rejected her, had turned back to the woman who disdained and   
despised him. She stopped under a flickering streetlight, the pool of   
shimmering light cascading over her tear-streaked features. Her sunglasses   
dangled limply in one hand.  
  
"Why?" she sobbed softly. Reaching up, she removed the bandanna she had   
used to disguise herself back at the resturant. Carefully dabbing at her tears,   
she sniffled quietly, thinking back on the time they had spent together the   
previous day.  
  
=======================================================================  
Monday Afternoon  
=======================================================================  
  
Carefully, she unfolded the umbrella with one hand, not removing her other   
hand from his arm. Her hand still held the small boquet of yellow roses.   
Gently, she raised it to deflect the drizzle that was still coming down.  
  
"Thanks," he murmured. Taking his own umbrella in his free hand, he   
seemed to slide it into his pants pocket. Of course, she knew it wouldn't fit   
there. Still, that's what he did. Taking his hand from his pocket, he smiled   
shyly.  
  
"Well, where shall we go now?" he asked, taking her umbrella from her and   
holding it over both of them. They started down the street away from the   
resturant.  
  
She paused, tapping her chin gently with her free hand, looking off into   
the hazy grey sky.  
  
"I don't know," she finally admitted.   
  
They walked together in companionable silence for a few minutes.   
  
Suddenly, she gestured toward the Chinese resturant they were approaching.   
"Are you in the mood for ramen?" Her smile was teasing.  
  
The boy made a sour face. She giggled, her fingers demurely covering her   
lips. He glanced over at her, his look of distaste wavering into amusement. He   
started to chuckle softly. Soon, they were both laughing outright as they   
walked, arm in arm, down the street.  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
They had settled on a little kissaten just down the road from the   
financial district. It was dark, dank, a little musty, and very, very cozy.   
The sat down across from each other, the large cups of coffee nestled warmly   
between their hands.  
  
"So," he began intelligently, watching her face of a clue as to what he   
should do.   
  
"So," she responded, a smile crinkling the corners of her violet eyes. He   
looked panicked for a moment.  
  
"This is nice," he noted, looking around nervously. She nodded as she   
quietly sipped from her mug, still keeping her eyes on him.   
  
He looked back at her for a moment, then jerked his eyes back to examining   
their surroundings. She watched his eyes the whole time. From the way they   
focused, she could tell he couldn't see a thing.  
  
"Thank you," she finally said. The boy stopped his nervous fidgeting and   
turned his gaze to her. His blue eyes were wide behind the thick lenses of his   
glasses.  
  
"For what?" His voice evinced actual confusion.  
  
"For what you did back at Kuonji's resturant. Thank you."  
  
The boy shrugged uncomfortably. "You're my friend. You don't deserve to   
be treated like that." He lifted the cup of coffee to his lips, savoring its   
bitter warmth.  
  
She looked at him levelly, her violet eyes boring into him. "Even   
considering what I did at Ranma's wedding?"  
  
The boy blinked once, than slammed his coffee cup down, startling this   
girl and the people at the table nearby. He glared past her for a moment, then   
focused his eyes on her.  
  
"You know, I'm sick and tired of people complaining about what _you_ did   
to disrupt that wedding. It's as if you were the only one who did anything   
wrong!"   
  
His eyes flashed angrily. "You weren't the only one who was there to break   
up the ceremony. Ukyou is being a hypocrite if she pretends she wasn't there   
throwing her little bombs. Your own brother was there, waving his sword like a   
madman. And Shampoo! My darling Shampoo was there, wrecking the place with as   
much abandon as anyone!"   
  
He took a deep breath, calming himself. "And after the Nannichuan water   
was revealed? I was as much to blame for what happened as anyone. The entire   
event was a circus." He snorted. "So don't blame yourself for what happened,   
and certainly don't let anyone else blame you." He rubbed the back of his left   
hand with the fingers of his right, looking past her in an irritated fashion.  
  
The girl blinked a couple times, obviously surprised by his outburst.  
  
"Ano . . . I . . . well, " she stammered, finding herself at a loss for   
words, something that had not happened in quite some time.  
  
The boy sighed, resting his chin on his right hand. His long black hair   
brushed the edge of the table. He sighed, exhaling so that his breath blew his   
bangs out of his eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry," he muttered. He still wasn't looking at her. The fingers on   
his right hand flicked his glasses further up on his nose. His left hand lay on   
the table between them, picking idly at a paper napkin. He paused for a few   
seconds before continuing.  
  
"It's something that's bugged me for a long time. There were a lot of   
people to be blamed for that disaster." He smirked. "That includes the bride   
and groom." His irritated expression faded into a bitter smile. "Especially   
the groom." He coughed quietly, but it came out sounding like a choked sob.  
  
The girl stared at him in amazement. She reached her right hand across   
the table, resting her fingers gently on his left hand.  
  
"You've really thought about this, haven't you?" she whispered softly. He   
turned his gaze back to her, his eyes magnified behind the thick lenses of his   
glasses. He swallowed audibly, tears filling his blue eyes.  
  
"I've been a fool," he muttered, letting his gaze drop. A single tear   
traced its way down his cheek. The girl wanted desperately to brush it away, to   
tell him that everything would be okay.  
  
"I convinced myself, for the longest time, that she loved me." He took a   
shaky breath, obviously embarassed about his emotionalism, but too far into his   
grief to care much. The girl was confused for a moment before she realized that   
the subject had changed suddenly.  
  
"The wedding is what convinced me that she really did love him," he   
whispered, "and convinced me that she would never love me." He looked down at   
the table, his eyes boring into its surface.  
  
The girl gasped. The boy before her had been the staunchest and most   
loyal man she had ever known. No matter what had happened, he had always   
remained convinced that he and his beloved would eventually be together. She   
couldn't reconcile what she knew about him with the broken and bitter figure   
before her. She tightened her gentle grip on his hand. Conciously or   
unconciously, he squeezed back.  
  
"It's okay," she murmured, trying her best to comfort him. She sensed in   
him a kindred soul, one who could relate to the agony she went through day after   
day because of her unrequited love. "It'll be okay," she continued. "I know it   
will be. It was after the wedding that I knew I needed to find help."  
  
The boy gulped, then looked up at her. An amused look crossed his face.   
"Are you saying I need a psychiatric evaluation?" The crooked smile on his face   
was slightly less bitter than before.  
  
The girl stared at him for a moment. Was he making fun of her? Was he   
serious? Her eyes widened slightly as she realized he was joking.  
  
"Honestly!" she snapped, dropping his hand. He chuckled quietly. Her   
outraged expression softened slightly as she heard him. At least he was feeling   
better. 'Men,' she thought, 'Never try to tell them anything. See if I talk   
to him now!' She silently resolved not to open up to him like that again.  
  
"I'm sorry," he said, still smiling. He reached across the table and   
tried to take her hand. She resisted for all half a second before letting him.   
"Please, continue." His voice was softly insistent. She felt her resolve melt.  
  
"I want to," she pleaded, "I do, but . . . ," she paused, gazing into his   
eyes. He adjusted his glasses, then looked at her. His smile faded, leaving a   
steely seriousness etched in his handsome features.  
  
"I apologize," he said quietly, "I should not have said what I said. It   
was insensitive of me." He bowed slightly, as well as he could do sitting in   
the small chair. "Please forgive me." His voice was humble, yet still held   
hidden strength. She longed to draw on that strength.   
  
"I was just saying that the wedding held a lot of changes for all of us,"   
she continued softly. He held his bow for a second longer, then raised his head   
to look at her. From the look in his eyes, she knew she had his complete and   
undivided attention. The feelings that stirred in her were comforting, but   
unfamiliar.  
  
"A few days after the wedding, Ranma confronted me about what had   
happened," her voice quavered softly, "and he told me that he never wanted to   
see me again." A soft sob caught in her throat as she remembered the look on his   
face. Anger. Disappointment. But no forgiveness. Not for the crazy girl who   
had spoiled his wedding. She choked slightly, then continued. "I was crushed.   
I went to my greenhouse and cried. I didn't come out for almost two days. When   
I did, I told Sasuke to find the number for the doctor that the school counselor   
had recommended." She drew in a shuddering breath. "I'd never been to one of   
them before. A shrink, I mean. It wasn't fun."  
  
The boy gazed into her eyes sympathetically. She wondered if he could   
truly understand what she had gone through. She wondered if it mattered if he   
could or not. She continued, her voice low.  
  
"He made me face things about myself that I hadn't wanted to face, things   
I thought didn't matter. He made me realize that Ranma didn't love me, would   
never love me, and that-" she broke off suddenly, lowering her face into her   
arms and sobbing.   
  
She felt the boy slide out of his chair across from her. He was no doubt   
embarassed by her public loss of control. He was leaving. He was-  
  
She felt his arm slide around her shoulder, pulling her head down onto his   
shoulder. He was crouched next to her chair now, softly whispering words of   
comfort in her ear. His long hair tickled her cheek as he crouched there in the   
dark corner of the kissaten, shushing her gently as he held her in his strong   
arms. They sat like that for what seemed like an eternity.  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
When she finally sat up, she had wanted to leave, but he had asked her to   
stay. And she had. They talked for a long time, sitting there in the shadowing   
corner of the coffeehouse.   
  
They had discussed many things, from the death of her mother when she was   
young to his dealing with his handicap in a society that despised weakness.   
  
It had been enlightening. She had never known she could open up to   
another person like that. Not even her psychiatrist knew some of the things she   
shared with the boy.   
  
When they had finally parted, she felt like she was leaving a part of her   
soul behind. She had felt many things on many levels while they were together.   
But the feeling that she felt most of all was safety. Protection. Warmth. Not   
since the death of her mother had she felt any of those things from another   
human being. Those were the very things she had sought from Ranma, the very   
things he had denied her. And yet here they were, right there, in the boy she   
had never looked twice at.  
  
She knew she never wanted to give up that wonderful feeling of saftey. So   
she resolved that whatever it took, she would free the boy from the wicked girl   
who held his heart. Then he would be free, free to be hers, and they would   
live-  
  
=======================================================================  
Tuesday Evening  
=======================================================================  
  
'-happily ever after?" she whispered sadly. 'It doesn't happen in real   
life, little girl,' she told herself. 'Only in dreams. Only in your twisted   
little fantasies.' She sagged against the streetlight.   
  
'You made up these castles for the two of you to live in,' she thought,   
'but he doesn't love you. You're his friend, not his lover. His love is   
reserved for that purple-haired harridan.' She sniffled loudly, not caring if   
anyone heard her. Brushing her tears away angrily, she glanced at her watch.   
She'd been standing here for almost ten minutes.  
  
Turning away from the streetlight, she started to walk toward 'Ucchan's'   
where waited a friend in need. As she stepped from the cirlce of light, she   
felt a hand fall softly on her shoulder, intruding on her thoughts. She gasped   
and drew back, turning to face the intruder.  
  
It was him.  
  
He gazed at her, his beautiful eyes filled with sorrow.  
  
"I'm sorry," he whispered softly. "I shouldn't have let you go." Looking   
down the street behind him, she could barely make out the figures of their two   
companions. She looked back up into his face.  
  
"Why did you come?" she asked. She had to know why.  
  
He looked confused for a moment before he answered. "Because you're my   
friend. The resturant can wait. You can't." His voice was low and earnest.  
  
"Oh," she murmured, watching his eyes. "I thought you made your choice."   
She stepped back from him, still watching his eyes.   
  
The boy's face hardened slightly.  
  
"You're my friend," he repeated, a little sullenly.  
  
It wasn't the answer she wanted, but it would do.  
  
For now.  
  
Gently taking his hand, she turned back down the street. They had   
somewhere they needed to be right now.   
  
They could worry about tomorrow . . . tomorrow.  
  
  
=======================================================================  
=======================================================================  
=======================================================================  
  
Authors Notes:  
  
Well, this is a short chapter, but I needed to wrap up some loose threads   
before next chapter.  
  
I'm experimenting with different prose formats. Let me know if you like   
this one. It's styled after a classical Japanese prosaic structure, or at least   
as close as I could get in English.  
  
Maybe I'll do the next one in script format . . .  
Just kidding! Just kidding!  
  
Ok, a lot more emotion in this one. I felt I needed to explain why   
Kodachi reacted the way she did to Mousse's refusal to accompany her to   
'Ucchan's' . . . maybe I'll explain why he did refuse. Or maybe not. It seems   
pretty clear to me why. Now what needs to be cleared up is what changed his   
mind. :-)  
  
This one seems odd to me. I guess it's the lack of chat logs. Hope no-  
one minds.  
  
Much thanks to Brock Pierce, one of my pre-readers. He put words in my   
mouth that sound a lot better than the ones I had before.  
  
Well, comments and criticisms are always welcome. Let me know!  



End file.
